2021 Ted McDonnell Photographs dreams come true

First Year: 2021 Ted McDonnell Dream came true…

Wishing everyone Happy Month of December and the magic week at the end of the year, where out of the blue, you’ll remember someone that you might not have thought of this year, but for some reason…here we are.

   Last few years, I have told myself not this year, you’re not going to send out Christmas cards with a personal message, but I could post it to my Photo-Blog.

   No traveling this year made it difficult to feel connected with anyone, and zooming has not turned to be as exciting as I recalled it on Star Trek. And I don’t think I ever mastered my best zoom camera angle over the last two years. Do you know what I mean?

  We continued 2020 indoor programs as much as possible, but by May 2021, we slowly started to gain back some of our freedoms to move around, but not too FAR! I hope you found the same in your hometowns.

The friends I have heard from all seem to have a new self-awareness. A good share appears to have realized they work way too many hours when it all ould get done in less time. Another new promise I heard was working from home is not so bad, and it sure beats driving the 60-80 minutes to and from work five days in the week.             

     A number have told me how they came back to old passion from years past. It could have been picking up a pallet, paints, and brush or dusting off that ole banjo, and some have made a move to a new location, be it across the bridge or the country. All seem to indicate people want more from life that reawoken parts of themselves that had gone dormant. What did you discover about yourself?   

   The best thing I could have ever done was to dig up several photographic files from the basement—images dating back to the 1970-80s-90. Talk about self-examination! Besides, finding pictures of myself from over the years has me building back better by focusing on a healthier life.

    Last year, November, I fulfilled a personal dream that had been gnawing at me for more years than I want to admit. I was storing away in cabinets and cupboards with photographs taken and rarely visited again. My digital pictures on CDs/DVDs; s that were examined, edited, and printed were then placed in a draw and not seen for years. The dream was always trying to find a way to present my work somewhere for everyone seeking photographs under key searches or specific subjects.

    The year 2021 has been like going back to Uni, learning to edit photographs, create a website, design a gallery, and other website layouts. The key and unknown to me at the time was how to maintain my digital footprint via social media and S. E. O - search engine optimization.  

    (I won’t say this out loud, but I wish I had not informed others to visit my websites in its infancy, February or April 2021. I acted like an overly-excited child eager to launch his new Christmas Rocketship, but in this case, a photo site. Oh my!)

    So, now I think I got it right for the two Ted McDonnell websites. Here you’ll find memories maybe we shared, unique places traveled, people, events, arts, and some fun. Perhaps it’s the journeyman or my Irish heritage when I say, what is life without smiles, some scary associations, curiosity, and questions still might be left on the table, sad memories of what was left behind and unsaid. To my surprise, I even rekindled that childhood glee amongst the photographs.

    So, we are a year into me returning to publishing my Photographic work, and being ole marketing and salesman, I enlisted social media to get my message-photographs out to the world.

    Social Media sites such as Pexel.com (first year) have inspired me to see my work and gain a healthy following with 707,500k + global eyes by the end of December. Oddly, most of those who have downloaded/liked or sent me messages are outside the USA.

Flicker.com, with its numerous galleries, Behance-Adobe is a fantastic site, and Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. (see links)

ONE TIP: Do your photographic marketing via social media websites but be a bit conservative with the number of photographs posted to these sites. Your goal is to have people visit your websites. I have posted about 350 pictures or less on these sites yet gained a healthy following.

     Maybe by Christmas 2022, you will be showing me your paintings, sending me your first recordings, or perhaps you’ll be selling your ceramics at the weekend market or just spending more time with your family. I wish you and all of your dreams the very best in 2022.

 Please come back and visit me here for my next blog, new photographic posting, and further updates in 2022. Maybe I will  start up a third website with new focuses: http://www,TedMcDonnellphoto.gallery

             MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022